


Accidentally In Love

by kzam



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Cloud Strife is a Badass, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Falling In Love, Growing Up, M/M, Misunderstandings, Zack Fair & Cloud Strife Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-06-27 14:05:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15686919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kzam/pseuds/kzam
Summary: When Cloud attempts to join SOLDIER, he accidentally lands in the infantry instead. Naturally it's all Genesis' fault, and so Cloud swears to prove him wrong.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on a bit of Strifesodos kick right now...Bear with me, this will be updated slowly but surely. It's not going to be super lengthy.

Cloud was young when he stepped foot into Midgar for the first time—barely 16 years old. Perhaps that was why he’d made such a blunder without even realizing it, one that would set him back for years to come. It was naïve to think he could just show up and get recruited into SOLDIER with his current skill set.

“Damn!”

A small grin was tugging at his lips as he lowered the rifle in his hands. Firing a gun was nothing new to him; he’d grown up in Nibelheim, after all. Hunting was a necessary part of survival, whether it was for food or to deter animals from coming into town. Even a runt like him had been handed a rifle at a young age.

“I’ll be taking that,” one of the recruiters said, snatching the rifle from his hands before he could offer it back. “You’ll be an excellent fit, Strife.”

The words had him beaming, too elated to ask questions. He was ushered to a table before he could get his hands on one of the swords he’d been eyeing, eager to show his potential in a more conventional manner. SOLDIERs didn’t need to mess with guns. Of course, he wasn’t quite as experienced with other weapons, but that hardly mattered when he was such a quick learner.

Or so he’d hoped.

“So, you’ll be assigned to the 32nd Platoon, Squadron B,” he was informed, his recruiter not missing a beat even when Cloud’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Higgins here will bring you to base. You’ll want to report to Sergeant Edwards once you’re there.”

Before Cloud could even open his mouth, the scout was looking to the next potential candidate, clearly done with this conversation. A man in an infantry uniform was standing nearby, looking at him with what appeared to be dwindling patience. Higgins, he assumed.

“This way, Strife.”

“I don’t understand. I thought this was all for recruiting SOLDIERs?”

“Who told you that?” Higgins responded with a snort. “Only the best of the best join SOLDIER. You don’t just get to show up and become one.”

“I knew that, but—”

“You already signed the paperwork before your turn.”

Cloud felt the blood draining from his face at those cold words. “Well, yeah, but it said this was about SOLDIER. There was supposed to be a First here watching, and—”

“Yeah, and there is. Infantry gets to take their pick of anyone SOLDIER doesn’t want. Congratulations.”

“There’s a SOLDIER here?”

Higgins let out a short sigh, gesturing to a man who’d been standing against one of the far walls of the training center. Cloud had been too focused on the task at hand when he walked in and signed his paperwork to notice the man. He was wearing a long red jacket, but underneath was a uniform he recognized all too well.

“Who is he?” Cloud asked, incredulous. The man’s eyes weren’t even open, which seemed wrong for someone meant to be watching the potential recruits. “Is he sleeping?”

That actually got him a chuckle from Higgins. “No, he’s _resting._ He’ll take a look when someone worth his time comes through. I hate to break it to you, kid, but that’s not you. Not today at least. They don’t need any riflemen in SOLDIER.”

“But I could be good at a lot of things!”

“I’m sure you could be. You’ll have the next four years to prove it.”

Cloud let out a disgruntled sigh, realizing this conversation wasn’t going anywhere. “Let’s just go, then.”

And so that was how he accidentally joined the infantry.

\--

A solid year passed before Cloud got another chance to be seen by a SOLDIER, and not due to lack of effort. Somehow he’d made it through boot camp despite the lack of interest he felt in this particular career field, earning the entry rank of Private when his cadet days finally came to an end. Since then, he’d stayed under Sergeant Edwards’ command, fitting in better than he would’ve hoped with his squadron.

It turned out his good aim came in handy in a pinch, and his squad appreciated that about him. If he had to be stuck doing something outside of being a SOLDIER, the infantry wasn’t so bad. Especially when it finally lead him to this moment—his chance to go on a mission with an actual SOLDIER to show what he was capable of in the field.

“Why does a SOLDIER need infantry help?” one of his squad mates asked.

“You wanna take this one, Strife?”

His sergeant looked to him, and he gave a quick nod. “SOLDIERs are good on the ground, but not all enemies fight on the ground. We’re providing cover fire against anything in the air.”

“Black bats,” his sergeant clarified with a grim expression. “There’s some kind of infestation, but they’re not the real target. SOLDIER will be taking the lead on this one, and any bats not flying low will be our objective.”

Cloud began cataloging everything he knew about black bats in his head, already familiar with the beasts. Nibelheim had issues with something similar in one of the old mansions, from what he recalled. The kids used to dare each other to go inside, only to discover the place wasn't haunted, and that it wasn't ghosts they needed to be afraid of.

“You’ll want to keep your distance,” Cloud told his squad. “They’ll swarm in together and bite if you’re not careful.”

“What’s the real target?”

“Classified,” his sergeant said with a shrug. “We’ll leave it to Zack to deal with whatever’s going on and forget whatever else we see. They’re trusting us not to ask too many questions.”

Cloud snorted as he saw the wide eyed look on his squad mate’s face, already knowing exactly why. Zack Fair. There weren’t many SOLDIERs aside from Sephiroth who were common chatter among the infantry, but Zack Fair was among the few—he’d become something of a favorite among the entire platoon, largely due to the pep talks he apparently gave out before joint operations.

It wasn’t until a few hours had passed that Cloud discovered all the rumors were true. Zack _was_ inspiring, speaking to each member of their squad like they were having a one on one moment. Cloud was hooked the moment their eyes met, reinvigorated with his hopes and dreams to become a SOLDIER.

“So, I’m counting on you guys,” Zack reminded them when they arrived at their destination. A warm smile was plastered on his face despite the fact his hand was on the hilt of his sword as he spoke. “Stay under cover and try to pick off anything before it gets too low. Leave the big one for me.”

“Yessir!” they said in unison, rifles at the ready.

Zack smirked at them before running off ahead, his ridiculously large sword in hand as they trailed after him carefully. They moved from one covered area to the next, keeping their steps light as they traversed further into the building Zack was apparently inspecting.

“Did you hear that?” Sergeant Edwards asked, giving the signal to stop.

They all crouched down, tense as they realized just how difficult this mission really would be. It was dark inside the old facility, and there were enough creaks in each of their steps to give away their position in a flash. They kept getting clumped together, not having room to spread out safely for their task.

Zack’s confidence came to the forefront of Cloud’s mind, and he nodded to his team decisively. “We need to split up. Two of us stay here, two move forward—wait a minute before following so we’re not all grouped up when we hit the fight. One we fire the first round, they’ll all swarm.”

“Who’s going ahead?” one of his squad mate’s asked nervously.

“Strife will take point with Timo. You’re with me, cadet.”

Cloud didn’t need to be told twice, gesturing for Timo to follow him as they pushed forward. They huddled behind some fallen debris in what seemed to be a basement of the facility, the sound of fluttering wings becoming more clear than ever. No doubt Zack was only a room ahead at this point, and whatever fight had started was well under way. The sound of sword strikes and grunts was unmistakable, as was the sound of a body being tossed back against one of the old walls. That could only mean one thing.

There was something a lot bigger than a bat in the next room, and Zack wasn't having an easy time handling it.

“We need to start,” Cloud realized, vocalizing it so Timo would follow his lead. With narrow eyes, he tried to see as best he could before taking aim and firing his first round. Sure enough, a single bat hit the floor, but there was no time to celebrate. Not when the rest of the pack were screeching now, red eyes illuminating in the room with vicious intent.

Another few shots were fired off in quick succession, and as he took cover again, Timo took his turn. Sergeant Edwards and the cadet were one point behind, taking cover behind the doorway as they rattled off their own rounds. No doubt their team work had improved tremendously since the last mission.

Between the four of them, it was almost like the room was lit with the light from their shots, the bats falling in quick succession.

Cloud took the opportunity to rush forward when it was clear, the commotion from the next room growing stronger by the minute. His eyes went wide when he saw what was inside.

There was a giant, mechanical black widow in the room, and it had its laser locked onto Zack.

“Strife!” Zack grunted as he narrowly dodged what must’ve been _another_ laser beam. “The scope!”

Not needing to be told twice, Cloud raised his rifle without hesitation. There was no way Zack could get in close quickly enough to dismantle this thing when it kept locking onto him—he’d be stuck running circles to dodge the blows. Zack did his part, keeping the enemy locked onto him so that Cloud could get off a clean shot at its targeting system. His adrenaline was pumping as he realized Zack was running _toward_ him rather than away, and he knew exactly why.

The only way to get a clean shot would be to take it when the machine was facing his direction. That meant he only had one chance because while Zack could keep running to dodge the beams, he wasn’t nearly as fast.

“Got it!” Cloud exclaimed, the red beam on Zack’s chest as the SOLDIER came to an abrupt halt right in front of the infantryman.

It was like he was using himself as cover for the strike in case Cloud’s shot missed its mark. His heart stilled as it struck him exactly what that would mean, but the pressure didn’t stop him from pulling the trigger with deadly precision.

After that, it was all a blur. Zack was on the machine before Cloud could blink, and he knew right away there was no more need for a rifleman in this room. He took cover again and watched, awed by the sheer strength of the SOLDIER as he dismantled the mechanical spider within minutes.

“Nice shot,” Zack told him, hopping down from the foe as it finally hit the ground with a grinding thud. He popped his sword back on his back like the whole fight was nothing, grinning as he approached. “You gotta work on following direction, but hey—so do I. Guess I owe you a drink, huh?”

“Tell my sergeant that and I’ll call us even.”

As if on cue, the rest of his squad came into the room. Before Sergeant Edwards could get a word out about Cloud disobeying orders, a friendly arm was being thrown around his shoulder as Zack retold the tale with one or two exaggerations about how dire the situation had been before Cloud arrived. By the time the tale was done, his squad was looking at him in awe like he deserved some kind of medal or something.

And so that was how he accidentally ended up being promoted from Private Strife to Specialist Strife.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading <3

Promotions tended to come every few years in the infantry, and Cloud wasn’t so sure he felt right accepting one so much sooner. Especially not when the circumstances had been blown out of proportion. Instead of being commended for assisting a SOLDIER on a classified mission, he was being spoken to as if he _saved_ a SOLDIER.

Rumors had never bothered him much in the past, but this one he couldn’t quite stomach. And it was all Zack’s fault, too! Why’d he have to go on and on to the sergeant? All Cloud had wanted was a quick word about how his presence had been helpful rather than a nuisance to the operation.

“Why so gloomy?” a familiar voice asked, clapping him on the back as he slid onto the bar stool near the blond. Cloud scoffed, not even turning to look at Zack. “Seriously, what’s up?”

“I got promoted because what happened on our mission,” Cloud revealed, shaking his head. “We both know that’s not right.”

“Why isn’t it right? You helped me out. If you hadn’t barged in when you did—”

“You would’ve kept circling closer and closer, and then jumped on the thing. One blow from your sword and you woulda taken out the targeting system.”

“It woulda taken three times as long to get close enough, and even SOLDIERs don’t have unlimited stamina. You bein’ there saved me the hassle.”

“They’re saying I saved you. We both know that’s not true.”

“Maybe. _I_ never said that though. All I told your squad was exactly what happened. You musta done something else for them to up and promote you like that.”

“They said I’ve been showing leadership qualities. That I’m on the fast track to the officer program at this rate.”

“That’s great news!”

“It’s not,” Cloud countered, glancing over at Zack intently. For some reason, he felt like he could trust the SOLDIER, though he couldn’t quite figure out why. “I want to be a SOLDIER. I need to be training more! I’ve only got three years left on my enlistment, and officers are way busier.”

“That’s plenty of time. If you keep showing what you got, it won’t matter if you’re an officer or not. SOLDIER takes priority—all you gotta do is impress the right person, and they’ll pull you over.”

“You say it like it’s easy,” he grumbled, thinking that it probably _was_ easy for Zack. The guy seemed like a natural in combat, with enough charisma to pull the attention of anyone in any room. “I went to get recruited for the program and they didn’t even let me pick up a sword. I fired one round and they put me over here.”

“Musta been quite the shot, then.”

“Well, yeah. That’s not really the point though.”

“Can I get you that drink?” Zack offered, waving down the bar tender before getting his own ale. Cloud politely declined, smiling a bit when Zack seemed to realize he wasn’t quite old enough. A soda was placed in front of him instead, and the SOLDIER quickly raised his glass, prompting Cloud to do the same. “To new friends.”

“New friends,” Cloud echoed, taking a sip before it sunk in Zack had just declared they were friends. How did that even happen? “Don’t you have old friends you should be with? It’s Friday night.”

“Nah. I told you I owed you one, and it took ages to track you down. This is where I wanna be right now.”

“You don’t owe me. I didn’t save you, and you didn’t need my help. You were ready to take a laser to the chest if I missed!”

“Yeah, but I knew you wouldn’t. I’ve heard about you.”

Right. Cloud stifled his laughter, sure that wasn’t possible. “And I thought only SOLDIERs were famous around here.”

“Not true. We may get most the best recruits, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t hidden gems in the army. Plus the ones who get signed up before they pick up a sword. I mean, how do we know you wouldn’t have kicked ass at the recruitment if they’d let you do that?”

“Uh, well,” Cloud started, hand on the back of his neck. “I probably wouldn’t have done as well. I grew up shooting my rifle, but we don’t really have swords where I’m from. I just figured I’m a fast learner.”

“They still coulda given you a fair chance.”

“Do you know a SOLDIER who wears a long red jacket?” he asked, his mind going back to that day—to that man leaning against the wall, eyes closed in disinterest as potential recruit after recruit went through scouting that day. It wasn’t the first time Cloud had wondered about that man, more than a little bitter about his behavior. No matter how much time passed, he couldn’t shake it from his mind.

Zack snorted into his drink at the question, nearly spilling it. “That a joke?”

“No. Why’s it funny?”

“Uh, ‘cause there’s only one who’d match that description, and he’s not exactly just another rank and file around here.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve never heard of Genesis Rhapsodos?”

“Of course I have!” he exclaimed, brows shooting up in surprise. Now that he thought about it…red jacket, red hair, complete lack of interest in anyone other than himself—it all matched what he’d heard about the First Class SOLDIER. “He’s the one who was scouting SOLDIERs that day. Been wondering who it was ever since. The guy didn’t even have his eyes open.”

“Sometimes a SOLDIER can watch even with their eyes closed,” Zack replied with a shrug. “Who do you think told me you were such a good shot?”

“Yeah, right.”

“Seriously! We’re friends, most the time. I told him about my mission, and he saw your name on the list. I didn’t get the whole story about him being there on scouting day, but yeah. Whatever you did that day, he remembered.”

Cloud tried to dismiss the idea of it, but couldn’t quite help the warm sensation in his chest caused by the flattery. Even if it wasn’t true, it still felt good to hear. “I’m gonna show him he made a big mistake that day, letting me go to the infantry. He’s gonna look like an idiot for passing on me.”

Zack grinned at his declaration, raising his pint again. “Hell yeah! And I’m gonna look like a genius for helping you!”

They clinked their glasses again, exchanging a determined nod. And so that was how he accidentally became friends with Zack Fair.

\--

After bonding with Zack, it felt like everything had begun to click into place in his life. Sure, his hopes and dreams were still out of reach, but it didn’t feel so impossible. The two trained together regularly, and while it turned out Cloud wasn’t as quick a learner as he’d expected when it came to sword play, he had enough determination to steadily improve despite it all.

There weren’t any more unexpected, life altering accidents in his day to day as the next year came and went. He’d gotten another promotion under his belt, but it was deliberate this time—he was Sergeant Strife by the time his 18th birthday hit, and that was when he got pulled from the enlisted ranks and officially placed in the officer training program. That meant another new title was added to his name, and it wasn't one he ever expected to have.

He still wasn’t so sure officer training was the right path to take if he wanted to join SOLDIER.

“You still think this is the best way to get noticed?” Cloud asked, gesturing at his new uniform as Zack’s eyes trailed him up and down. He’d turned in the blue infantry uniform for a deep  green officer one, and it felt a little strange after being enlisted for two years.

“Trust me, you’re _definitely_ gonna get noticed like this. Green’s a good color on you.”

His face grew red, but that didn’t stop him from rolling his eyes. “Don’t be a jerk.”

“ _What?_ I’m giving you a compliment!”

“You’re just trying to get a rise out of me.”

“Damn right,” Zack winked.

He rolled his eyes again, knowing all too well Zack had a girlfriend and wasn’t being serious at all. “Can we just forget it and go practice? I’ve got classes all day tomorrow. Officer training’s no joke.”

“Nope. You’ve been training every day—today’s about celebrating!”

“What do you have in mind?” Cloud countered, hands on his hips. Normally he may have protested, but he really _could_ use a break after so much training every day. The problem was, he knew what Zack liked to do when he went out, and it wasn’t so fun for him. “I don’t really feel like hitting a club.”

“How about dinner then? I know just the place!”

Cloud hummed thoughtfully before giving a nod. “Sure. But I swear to Shiva, if you’re trying to get me eat some gourmet Gongagan _bug_ again, I’ll—”

“It was a scorpion, and it’s a delicacy!”

“You’re gonna feel delicate after I beat your ass on our next game night.”

“Those are fighting words, Spike.”

“Damn right. You better take me seriously, too. No bugs!”

Zack gave him his best ‘glare’ before bursting into laughter. “Fine, you win this time. I had something else in mind anyway. Let’s go!”

“Can I swing back to the barracks to change first?”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. We’re celebrating you being an officer—you oughta be proud of your new uniform.”

“I’ll be proud when I have one of your uniforms,” Cloud countered, shrugging indifferently about his own.

Zack looked like he was biting his tongue, but thankfully he let it go. Of all the people in Cloud’s life, Zack knew better than most what it meant to Cloud to be a SOLDIER one day—he knew the whole story about why, and how long it had been Cloud’s dream. It wasn’t just some childish idea he’d gotten on a whim.

“Let’s go,” Zack said, leaving it at that.

He threw a friendly arm around Cloud’s shoulders as they left the room, guiding them to the nearest elevator. To Cloud’s surprise, instead of going down, Zack selected to go up a few floors. The look on his face said he wasn’t going to give anything away, and so Cloud took a leap of faith and didn’t bother asking.

It wasn’t until they were standing in front of an unfamiliar apartment door that Cloud raised a brow, looking at Zack curiously as his friend raised a fist to knock on the door.

“Is this Kunsel’s room?” he guessed.

“Nah, Kunsel can’t cook for shit.” That only raised more questions, but as Cloud looked to his friend he was promptly waved off. “Just trust me on this. It’s gonna be delicious.”

“Whatever you say,” he muttered, blinking a few times when the door finally swung open.

His elbow slammed into his friend’s side when he realized what had just happened. Angeal fucking Hewley had opened the door, and months of conversations began flooding his mind.

_“Angeal’s the best cook. You’ve gotta come over with me sometime, I’m tellin’ you!”_

Hadn’t he told Zack no thanks? That he didn’t really want to mooch off one of ShinRa’s top SOLDIERs while he was still just some guy in the army? Not like Zack ever listened though—or rather, he just chose not to care when he’d already made up his mind, and for whatever reason he’d made up his mind that Cloud needed to meet this man.

“Is it too late to take you up on that offer for dinner?” Zack asked in lieu of a greeting, his hopeful smile melting even Angeal’s stern features. “Please?”

Cloud watched in awe as the man went from mildly annoyed to fully exasperated, “That offer was three days ago.”

“Yeah, but I eat every day, and so does my buddy here.” He slung an arm around Cloud who promptly elbowed him in the side. “Hey!”

“Don’t make it sound like I had anything to do with this.”

“I already know you didn’t,” Angeal assured him with a kind smile. “Why don’t you both come inside? There’s plenty to go around.”

“Ang always makes a feast,” Zack explained as they followed the man inside, the smell of something savory hitting Cloud all at once. Chicken maybe? “Firsts tend to have big appetites, and normally one or two of us swing by.”

Cloud hummed in acknowledgment, knowing all too well just how much Zack could eat—especially after a good training session. It was either impressive or terrifying, he couldn't be sure.

“Is there gonna be dessert?” Zack wondered as he plopped down on his friend’s couch, patting the seat next to himself for Cloud to join.

“Are you going to introduce me to your friend?” Angeal countered.

“Oh, right. Ang, this is Spike. Spike, Ang,” Zack said, gesturing between the two. Angeal extended a hand to the blond, another kind smile on his face as Cloud shook it. “He just started the officer training program. Today was his first day.”

“There’s definitely dessert then,” Angeal promised. “Congratulations.”

Cloud couldn’t help but smile back at the man, muttering a thank you as he took a seat by Zack’s side. It was almost too easy, how fast the nerves faded and how at home he already felt.

“So, Spike’s the one I was telling you about,” Zack said conversationally. “I did the Modeoheim mission with his squad.”

Angeal opened his mouth like he was about to respond, recognition alight in his eyes as he continued to stir one of the pots on his oven, but something seemed to stop him. His eyes flickered to the door, and when it was flung open Cloud realized it was probably because he had heard someone outside.

“I’ve had _the_ most atrocious day!” an all too familiar redhead exclaimed, his tone as superior as the attitude Cloud remembered him having the day of his recruitment. “I finally get back from Mideel, and what do you think’s waiting for me in my office?”

Zack was cackling as Angeal responded, “Paperwork?”

“Two entire stacks! Can you believe the nerve of that man? It’s like he _wants_ me to light it on fire just so he has an excuse to take away my office.”

“It’s his job, Gen,” Zack tried. And failed, judging by the way Genesis rolled his eyes. “He’s the Director of SOLDIER."

“Since when are you so responsible?”

“I taught him well,” Angeal said simply.

“Yes, well…well?” Genesis said, his eyes finally landing on Cloud’s stiff form. It was the first time he'd seen the man's eyes, and he almost laughed at the irony of it. What he would've given to have those eyes on him a few years back. Now he wanted them anywhere else, shifting uncomfortably as the man seemed to take in all his features. “If it isn’t Lieutenant Strife. You’re quite welcome, you know.”

Cloud arched a brow. “For what?”

“For your career. Already in the officer program, and barely an adult. I may have outdone even myself this time.”

“Excuse me?” Cloud asked, completely baffled. Because he knew Genesis wasn’t attempting to take credit for his accomplishments. “You had nothing to do with it.”

Genesis scoffed, not nearly as amused anymore. “Perhaps you don’t remember it as well as I do.”

“I remember it pretty clearly. You were the SOLDIER who couldn’t be bothered to open his eyes during my recruitment.”

“It wouldn’t have been worth the effort, so I let them have you. Now look at you—an officer. Shall I say it again?” Genesis mused, a thoughtful hand on his chin as he nodded to his own question. “You’re quite welcome.”

Cloud held his gaze, every word deliberate as he stared back at the redhead, “And you’re still an asshole.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments <3 I wasn't expecting much response to this fic, but I'm happy to see other people enjoy a bickering Strifesodos! They're gonna keep at it for a little while longer before they come to an understanding

It was almost like a game after that first encounter, and not the kind Cloud preferred to play. The way Cloud took no shit from Genesis seemed to amuse Zack, and so it became his friend's goal to get them in the same room again whenever it was humanly possible. Somehow he always got roped into it even when his instincts told him not to go, mainly because Zack Fair was too damn persuasive for his own good. All it really took was one pleading look and those eyes would have Cloud caving.

So far they'd been forced into the same room three times, and each had gone as well as the last. That man was pompous and inconsiderate, even toward his own 'friends'. Why Zack constantly vouched for him was mind boggling. Even Angeal spoke highly of him, and Angeal was one of the nicest guys Cloud had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Something about it just didn't make sense. It was like the Genesis he was meeting and the Genesis they knew were two different people.

"I'm not interested," Cloud tried, knowing that Zack's most recent proposal would likely lead him into yet another encounter with that man. "And don't even try with the puppy eyes!"

Too late. Zack was giving him the look already, and he'd made the mistake of meeting his eyes. "C'mon, Spike! It'll be fun. It's just training. Even if we do see him, we'll be too busy to say hi."

Something told Cloud it wouldn't be so simple to ignore Genesis if they ran into him, but there was only so much he could say when his walls were already crumbling. Zack looked so damn hopeful, and he really was doing all this just to help Cloud out with his training. It'd be rude to say no at this point. Genesis was the one who was rude, not him, he reminded himself. With that thought in mind, he gave a reluctant nod.

“Fine,” Cloud agreed, though not without huffing more dramatically than necessary. “But you owe me pizza if we run into him.”

“Deal,” Zack grinned. “He’s really not so bad, Spike.”

“If you call condescending and whiny ‘not so bad’, then yeah, I guess he’s not so bad.”

“He’s more than that,” Zack insisted. “Gen’s smart—witty. Funny in his own way. Honestly, the two of you would hit it off if you’d get over yourselves.”

“He’s the reason I’m in this mess,” Cloud countered, gesturing down at his green uniform. “All because he couldn’t spare me a glance.”

“Who’s to say you woulda made it even if he  _had_ opened his eyes?”

The question was asked lightly, Zack’s tone oozing with good intention. It still hurt a little though, even if he knew the answer deep down, and he’d told his friend as much on numerous occasions.

“That doesn’t give him the right to be a jerk,” Cloud decided.

“No, but that’s what I’m tryin’ to tell you! He’s not a jerk. He’s just—”

“An asshole.”

“No! He just has a hard time admitting when he’s wrong—kinda like  _you.”_

“Don’t compare me to him.”

Zack snorted, but he made no further comment. It was almost like he realized he wouldn’t win this one even if he had somehow gotten Cloud to agree to coming along to the materia training grounds. A place Genesis frequented which made it a place Cloud had little interest in seeing. They’d made decent progress sparring, and Zack seemed to think it was time for him to branch out if he wanted to increase his chances of joining SOLDIER.

Part of him wondered what he was even doing at this point—why he was still so set on joining. He just couldn't bring himself to give up though. Not when he’d spent his whole life hoping to be what Zack was.

They arrived at the materia training grounds, and Cloud wasn’t impressed. It was basically like the sparring rooms, except instead of padded floors and weapons lining the walls, there were dummy targets. He watched disinterestedly as two guys cast their little spells, hitting their target with what appeared to be a blizzard spell. Magic wasn't nearly as cool as sword combat, at least in his opinion.

“What’s the big deal?” Cloud asked, catching the orb Zack tossed in his direction.

“Materia gives us an edge. SOLDIERs are the only ones who have unrestricted access to it,” Zack explained with a shrug. “If you can pull off a cast, you’re gonna be a better candidate.”

“Yeah, but aren’t these basically balls of mako?” Cloud reminded his friend, eyeing the orb between two fingers. Just because he wasn’t a SOLDIER didn’t mean he didn’t know the basics. “It’s easier for you ‘cause you get those injections.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s impossible for you, just harder. If you can manage it now—”

“Why do you insist on getting his hopes up?” a familiar voice interjected, drawing their attention across the room.

Sure enough, there was Genesis Rhapsodos, butting his nose in where it didn’t belong because assholes never did know when to mind their own business. Cloud’s eyes narrowed as he realized the man wasn’t even looking at him,  _again,_ because he was too busy sitting there reading a damn book.

Who came to a training room just to sit down in a corner and read? There was something seriously wrong with this guy.

“I know this might be difficult for you to comprehend," Cloud started, fingers curling tightly around the orb as he focused his attention on the training target, "but Zack is a nice person. He believes in people."

"He believes in mediocrity if he believes you're SOLDIER material. Why would you want to leave a field where you excel in order to join the ranks of a field where you'd be average at best?"

That snippy bastard. Cloud could feel his blood boiling, and he did his best to focus on the ball in his hand instead of the man who had caused his frustration. It was like he had a point to prove now, and he intended to do just that. Performing well under pressure was slowly becoming his forte, and he could only hope this time would be no exception. He didn't even need to look at Genesis to see the smug look on his face, and he'd be damned if he couldn't wipe it away by proving the man wrong.

"Glaring at the target won't get you anywhere," Genesis prodded, his tone bored.

"Would you rather I glare at  _you?"_

"Hey, guys," Zack jumped in, suddenly standing between them as if they were having a show down. The reality was, Cloud was staring down the training dummy while Genesis hadn't budged an inch. Cloud assumed he was still reading his book, rattling off whatever offensive remarks he wanted because he didn't give a damn about anyone other than himself. "You’re both my buddies, okay? That means you’re supposed to get along, too.”

Cloud snorted, not so easily convinced. He swore he felt something as he gripped the orb a bit more tightly, tingling in his veins as he fixated on the task at hand. There wasn’t much he knew about materia other than the fact that it was mako-based and that each one was imbued with a different power—sometimes an element, sometimes a support skill.

He was pretty sure this one was fire.

“Would you care for some instruction?” Genesis goaded, the sound of leather shuffling in the room breaking his concentration.

As if he’d accept instruction from someone like this. He could hear footsteps drawing near him, but the last thing he was going to do was concede defeat. If anyone were to help him, it would be Zack—his _friend._ Not some guy who was obviously trying to get a rise out of him for his own entertainment.

“Such a stubborn young man,” the redhead tsked.

It wasn't immediate. Several minutes passed without much happening, and he realized with a start that he probably _did_ need some kind of instruction. Wasn’t that why Zack was here? Somehow the idea of asking for help from anyone seemed impossible now, like it would be admitting he couldn’t succeed on his own.

“It’s quite simple, actually. If you’ve the capacity for magic, you should feel a pull in your veins—”

“Shut up,” Cloud gritted out, already having felt that pull.

All he had to do was tug on it a bit, he figured, trying his damndest to focus on the tingling sensation he felt in his palm. _There._ He centered his energy around it and yanked as hard as he could, eyes snapping open as he heard an inelegant yelp.

_What the hell?_ The bastard was standing right in front of him, book ablaze as Cloud’s magic hit it directly. His instincts kicked in before he could stop himself from leaping forward, ready to help put the small fire out before he was shooed away by the redhead. It was too little too late, apparently, the damage already done.

“Such a waste,” Genesis complained, dropping his book to the floor between them as the flames quickly consumed it. “I still had three chapters left.”

“Why’d you stand in front of me?”

“You say it as if I should have been expecting you to succeed.”

Cloud narrowed his eyes. “Why’re you such a jerk?”

“I’m a realist, dear. I see little point in pandering to your fantasies—you are what you are, and you excel at it. Why strive to be something you’re not?”

“Haven’t you ever had a dream? A goal you wanted to achieve?”

“Dreams are never what they seem,” Genesis told him, shrugging off the question. “I’ll expect a replacement copy brought to my office by tomorrow.”

Cloud stared blankly for a moment as he processed that demand before folding his arms across his chest. “Excuse me?”

Genesis mirrored the stance, holding his gaze evenly. “You damaged my property, and I expect it to be replaced.”

“It was your own fault for standing in front of me in a training room.”

“Tomorrow,” Genesis repeated firmly. “0700 hours. Zack will show you where.”

He walked away before Cloud could get in another objection, the sound of his boots on the floor annoying Cloud further. Everything about that man was infuriating, screaming for attention even when he offered none to those in front of him. From his fiery hair to his ridiculous jacket…Of course his boots would clatter across the floor louder than necessary.

“Is he serious?” Cloud asked, turning to Zack with a huff.

Zack chuckled softly, “Yep. I think you impressed him.”

“I don’t care about that. I don’t even know what book that was!”

“I do,” Zack admitted, rolling his eyes. Something about it was oddly fond despite how exasperated he looked. “There’s only one that he’d care enough about to demand a replacement.”

“Yeah, well, he can get his own book. I’ve got work to do.”

And just like that, Cloud was focused back on the training dummy, determined to actually hit it this time. It only took a few minutes to get off another cast, his frustrations seeming to spur him on. Cast after cast, he could feel himself understanding it more and more. This really was the kind of skill that could give him the edge, especially in the infantry where very few knew how to handle magic. The possibilities were endless if he could figure out the key to succeeding in this.

By the end of the day, he’d accidentally mastered his very first materia.


End file.
